Poem by William Barnes

First Collection. Spring. The Woodlands

O spread ageän your leaves an’ flow’rs,
 Lwonesome woodlands! zunny woodlands!
Here underneath the dewy show’rs
 O’ warm-aïr’d spring-time, zunny woodlands!
As when, in drong or open ground,
Wi’ happy bwoyish heart I vound
The twitt’rèn birds a-buildèn round
 Your high-bough’d hedges, zunny woodlands

You gie’d me life, you gie’d me jaÿ,
 Lwonesome woodlands! zunny woodlands
You gie’d me health, as in my plaÿ
 I rambled through ye, zunny woodlands!
You gie’d me freedom, vor to rove
In aïry meäd or sheädy grove;
You gie’d me smilèn Fannèy’s love.
 The best ov all o’t, zunny woodlands!

My vu’st shrill skylark whiver’d high,
 Lwonesome woodlands! zunny woodlands!
To zing below your deep-blue sky
 An’ white spring-clouds, O zunny woodlands!
An’ boughs o’ trees that woonce stood here,
Wer glossy green the happy year
That gie’d me woone I lov’d so dear,
 An’ now ha’ lost, O zunny woodlands!

O let me rove ageän unspied,
 Lwonesome woodlands! zunny woodlands!
Along your green-bough’d hedges’ zide.
 As then I rambled, zunny woodlands!
An’ where the missèn trees woonce stood,
Or tongues woonce rung among the wood,
My memory shall meäke em good,
 Though you’ve a-lost em, zunny woodlands!

1. First Collection. Summer. Week’s End in Zummer, in the Wold Vo’k’s Time
2. Second Collection. The Linden on the Lawn
3. Second Collection. When Birds be Still
4. Third Collection. Went vrom Hwome
5. Third Collection. Shaftesbury Feäir

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